Were he an Englishman he would wear a dozen Victoria Crosses pinned down to his broad breast: were he a German he would be the vain owner of enough Iron Crosses to make another cannon
In the end our Albanian staff included Moslems, "Greeks," Protestants, and Catholics. I think one of the bravest men I have ever known was one of the Protestants. He had a superb physique, but he had been born in a town and had never carried arms. At the time when the Turkish authorities in Castoria were molesting the Bulgarian peasants who came into our hospital, beating some of them, detaining others, and carrying off a few against their will to the Turkish ambulance, I sent this man to take his stand at the gate of the town, and inform me at once if any violence was offered to our protégés. He had not long to wait, but instead of losing time while he ran for me, he dealt with the situation himself. He marched boldly, unarmed "Giaour" though he was, into the midst of the Turkish soldiers and gendarmes, rescued the Bulgarian peasants by main force and escorted them triumphantly to our hospital. The possession of a rifle will often make a man of a Bulgarian insurgent, but only an Albanian could have showed such courage as this, unarmed, against a crowd of Turks with weapons. But there are in the Albanian nature even rarer capacities than this.
Henry Noel Brailsford 'Macedonia, its races and their future' 1903, p.236
The Turk of to-day makes a good soldier, but that does not imply that he is really warlike. He is a man who can stand in ranks and obey commands. He will follow his officers with unquestioning obedience, make light of hardship, and fight with superb obstinacy on the defensive. But he has not the Albanian passion for movement and danger. He does not live to win praises for his courage as the Albanian does. He is stupid and unimaginative, and his courage is deficient in dash and aggressiveness. The Albanian, on the other hand, is a born fighter, who cares for no other distinction
Kacanikut i rrafte pika, nuk e din se cka ashte frika, nante sahat tuj therre me thika ...
At the first charge at the mortar baterry, the Russian leader who wore an Albanian costume and whose gallantry was most cospicuous fell dead ...
It is not known how many Albanian chiefs were there with the Russians but certainly the two who were killed led them on with interpidity and ferocius courage. One of them, who struggled into the battery, inspite of a severe wound, while his life blood was ebbing fast, rushed at the powder barrel and fired his pistol into it before he fell. Fortunately the barrel did not explode as the fire did not go through the wood. Another charged with a scimitar in one hand and a curved blade, which he used as a dagger, in the other, right into our ranks twice, and fell dead the second time, perforated with balls and bayonets. They were magnificiently dressed and it is supposed they were men of rank
Suliotet hyn ne kampin armik dhe njoftuan angazhimin e tij, duke qene shqiptare ata e kryen kete pune pa pasur frike se mund te diktoheshin.
me poshte:Geget veterane ishin po aq familjare sa dhe armiqte e tyre(suliotet), me luften e nates, dhe ishin stervitur porsi ata, te hapnin zjarr me saktesi vdekjeprurese, ku kushdo pervec syrit shqiptar do te gabonte
.
The most herois race inhabiting the Near East is that of the Albanians ... It is a mistake to assume that the Albanians in any true sense of the term represent barbarism as contrasted with modern civilization. They have supplied the most valiant soldiers and ablest statemen at the command of Turkish Sultans. Physically and intellectually there is probably no stronger race in modern Europe ...
Physically and intellectually there is probably no stronger race in modern Europe
Eej Suf Xhelili arusha e malit, fort po ja vret asqerin krajlit !. Po ja vret e po ban kërdi n'ato brigje të Drinit të Zi !
- Shihni, zotni, - i tha atëherë plaku i Dibrës(Elez Isufi) gjeneralit serb, - edhe me dashtë unë, plaku, me e tradhëtue Shqipninë, nuk më lanë këta fëmijë”.
